Continuity of Government - 2017

Background

Since the days of the Cold War, the United States has had a plan in place to continue the operation of the government following a catastrophic attack on the nation's capital.
The 2007 "National Security Presidential Directive 51" directs the geographic dispersion
of leadership, staff, and infrastructure in order to maintain the functions of the United States Government in the event the nation’s capital is “decapitated” by a terrorist attack.

Buried deep within the 98-page National Continuity Plan is the strategy for the mass evacuation and relocation of every federal government
agency including The White House and the military in response to an exceptional catastrophic event within the National
Capital Region. Each agency is required to have a detailed Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) in place.

The Shadow Government

Following a catastrophic national emergency, the President, or his successor can authorize the establishment of a temporary "shadow government" to maintain control of the essential functions
of the Federal Government. President Bush activated the shadow government on September 11, 2001 shortly after the second attack on the World Trade Center.

Every federal agency has designated key individuals to be part of an "Emergency Relocation Group". These ERGs are assigned to an alternate secure location on a rotating basis and are
ready to take over the duty of supporting the National Essential Functions of this nation in an emergency.

Presidential Line of Succession

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the order of Presidential Succession. This order is followed if the President dies or is incapacitated. The order of cabinet officers
included in the list is determined by the dates on which each of their positions was created:

Vice President

Speaker of the House

President pro tempore of the Senate

Secretary of State

Secretary of Treasury

Secretary of Defense

Attorney General

Secretary of the Interior

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Education

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Homeland Security

Orders of succession are also established for each of above Cabinet officials within their own departments. Ten successors residing within the National Capital Region (NCR) and three successors
outside the NCR are identified for all executive departments and agencies. Here is an example of a 2013 Secretarial Order of Succession.

National Essential Functions (NEFs)

The National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan identifies eight national essential functions which represent the overarching responsibilities
of the federal government during a crisis.

Ensure the continued functioning of the three separate branches of government

Provide leadership visible to the Nation and the world

Defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic

Maintain and foster effective relationships with foreign nations

Protect against threats to the homeland and bring perpetrators to justice

Respond to and recover from domestic consequences of an attack

Protect and stabilize the Nation’s economy

Provide for critical national health, safety, and welfare needs of the United States

COGCON Levels

The Continuity of Government Readiness Conditions (COGCON) system establishes executive branch readiness levels based on possible threats to the National
Capital Region. The President alone determines and issues the COGCON Level.

COGCON 2: Deployment of 50-75% of Emergency Relocation Group continuity staff to alternate locations. Establish their ability to conduct operations
and prepare to perform their organization’s essential functions in the event of a catastrophic emergency.

COGCON 1: Full deployment of designated leadership and continuity staffs to perform the organization’s essential functions from alternate facilities either as a
result of, or in preparation for, a catastrophic emergency.

The U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) is responsible for evacuating government officials under the guidance of the classified Concept of Operations Plan
CONPLAN 3600: Emergency Preparedness in the National Capital Region. The executive agency and department heads along with designated emergency relocation group (ERG) members would be transported to classified locations around the country above ground, below ground, and
at sea.

The secret evacuation plan includes a nearby fleet of specialized vans and trucks that can be dispatched on a moment's notice
to secret campgrounds located within the Shenandoah Valley and in nearby federal park lands in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia containing underground
hardened facilities with emergency communication systems.

Three Air Force C-20C aircraft (85-0049, 85-0050, and 86-0403) based at Andrews AFB are operated by the Presidential Airlift Group (PAG) of the 89th Airlift Wing.
The C-20C aircraft are a secret part of the COG program and are designed to move senior executives (Senex) quickly in the event of a national emergency.

The three C-20C aircraft are equipped with a
comprehensive hardened communication system installed by E-Systems and designed to enable operations in a post-nuclear environment. Whenever the President travels away
from Washington, a C-20C is positioned discretely at an adjacent airfield in case the President has to suddenly depart and Air Force One has been disabled.

Pentagon Relocation to Site R

Site R, also known as the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, is located six miles north of Camp David and serves as the Alternate National Military Command Center. The deep underground facility can
fully support the Pentagon's mission essential functions including nuclear command and control. Army helicopters are on standby at Davison Army Airfield to evacuate senior Defense officials from
the Pentagon to Site-R providing hasty access to the secret facility by following Blue Light and Iron Gate procedures.

Executive Powers

In 2012, President Obama issued two Executive Orders that will greatly expand the presidential powers in the event of a national emergency.

The March 2012 Executive Order
gives the President the authority to commandeer all U.S. domestic resources, including food and water, and seize all energy and transportation infrastructure within the United States.
The order also allows authorizes the U.S. Government to force its citizens to fulfill labor requirements for the purposes of national defense.

The July 2012 Executive Order
gives the Department of Homeland Security authority over private communication networks in emergency situations.

The White House National Continuity Coordinator

The operational authority for the Continuity of Government was shifted from the civilian Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the
White House Military Office in early 2009, giving the White House full control over this important national security program.

Tom Bossert, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism serves as the current National Continuity Coordinator.

EAGLE HORIZON 2017: June 19-23

The Eagle Horizon exercise requires each federal executive branch department and agency to test their Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) by deploying their Emergency Relocation Groups (ERG)
to secret remote locations where they will perform their essential functions ensuring the preservation of our government.

In addition to all executive departments and agencies, the White House offices and senior staff also participate in this exercise.